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Greyhound won't let U.S. authorities drop migrants in its bus depots

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza, Nick Oza

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza, Nick Oza

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza/The Republic

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza/The Republic

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza, Nick Oza

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza, Nick Oza

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza, Nick Oza

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza, Nick Oza

Hector Vargas from Guatemala with over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza, Nick Oza

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Hector Vargas from Guatemala with over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza, Nick Oza

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza, Nick Oza

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza, Nick Oza

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too. Nick Oza, Nick Oza

ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.
Nick Oza, Nick Oza

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ICE drops off migrants in Phoenix

Over dozens of Central American migrants were dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them. Most of the church and organization are running out of resources too.

From the stations, they travel to their intended destination in the United States.

'Unprecedented increase'

Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said the company is experiencing an "unprecedented increase of individuals" at certain bus terminals and that travelers need tickets to get in. She said the policy applies to anyone who lacks a ticket.

"Our priority is to safely and efficiently get customers to their destinations," Booker said in a statement.

Dozens of Central American migrants are dropped off at a Phoenix Greyhound bus station by ICE federal officials while a group of volunteers tries to help them on March 8, 2019. Many churches and organizations are running out of resources to help the mingrants.(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)

Immigrants who are released by ICE don't usually have prior notice and can't make travel arrangements until they arrive at the station. Most of them don't have money and have to wait on a relative or advocacy group to buy their ticket.

A huge number of Central American families have traveled to U.S. in the past few months; many say they are fleeing violence and plan to seek asylum. Others say they are escaping extreme poverty.

In Arizona alone between Dec. 21, 2018, and March 5, ICE said it had processed for release about 14,500 people who came as families.

Outside the station in Phoenix, about 15 adults and five children waited in a shaded area near a parking lot Thursday. Some said they had been there for about seven hours.

The federal agency relies on volunteer organizations, many of them faith-based groups, to help families with travel and meals.

Jacinto Quib and his 13-year old daughter, Glendi, were reunited in Phoenix after being separated by federal authorities for about two months. They are from Guatemala and were on their way to stay with friends in Texas. They were waiting in Dallas for a connecting flight. Josh Susong/The Republic

Connie Phillips, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, said she doesn't blame Greyhound for its policy but rather immigration officials for not having a long-term, sustainable way to deal with releasing migrants.

"Just dropping people off in a place that's not meant to be able to welcome and assist them is not a solution, and we have to work together to create a viable response to this increased need and stop this chaos," Phillips said.

Immigration authorities say they release families at bus stations only when volunteer groups run out of space.

"ICE wants to mitigate strains placed on resources in the local community as we continue to see high volumes of families crossing the border," spokeswoman Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said.

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A network to help

Phillips said dozens of volunteers have created a network to respond to the bus station in Phoenix when immigrants are dropped off. They bring food and water, allow migrants to use volunteers' cellphones and help coordinate travel.

Phillips said the groups that help out are able to temporarily house about 700 people in churches and congregants' homes in the Phoenix area, but that doesn't suffice.

The practice of dropping migrants at Greyhound stations isn't limited to Phoenix, but it's where it happens most often.

In San Diego, ICE takes families directly from a Customs and Border Protection station to a shelter run by non-governmental organizations. Authorities have dropped off migrants at the bus station only in some cases.

In McAllen, Texas, migrants are dropped off at a Catholic Charities shelter.